Gen Z leads the way in tax-free spending: up 22% in a year
Over the past year in Italia, purchases by younger customers have risen by 22 per cent, and people in our country spend more than elsewhere. Handbags are the most popular category, with Chinese customers showing a sharp increase
Gen Z is no longer simply the future of tax-free shopping: it is already the driving force behind its growth. This is highlighted by Global Blue’s new analysis, which provides a snapshot of the shopping behaviour of young international travellers between April 2025 and March 2026.
According to the survey, in Italia, over the past year, the number of Gen Z shoppers has grown by 22 per cent, whilst their tax-free spending has increased by 11 per cent, confirming the increasingly central role of this generation in the transformation of the retail sector.
Although Spain attracts the highest proportion of Gen Z travellers in Europe (35% compared to Italia’s 29%), Italia ranks first in terms of its contribution to tax-free spending generated by this consumer group, accounting for 28% of the European total. Italia can also count on three destinations featuring amongst the six most significant European cities for Gen Z tax-free shopping: in particular, Milan remains the second-largest European destination in terms of spending, with an 11 per cent share, behind only Paris. In these two fashion capitals, average spending exceeds €1,400 per shopper, well above cities such as Rome (€870), Barcelona (€720), Madrid (€670) and Florence (€600).
The analysis therefore highlights the profound generational shift currently taking place in tax-free shopping in Italia. From 2019 to the present day, the number of Gen Z shoppers has grown by 368%, compared with the 39% increase recorded among other generations. This trend has also been confirmed over the past year: whilst more mature consumers have seen modest growth in footfall (+3%) and a slight decline in spending (-1%), Generation Z continues to gain momentum, contributing ever more significantly to the market’s growth, whilst still accounting for 14% of total tax-free spending in Italia.
According to Global Blue, Gen Z’s shopping preferences stand out from the rest of the market. Spending on luxury brands has risen by 6%, whilst spending on exclusive brands has increased by 35% – figures higher than those seen among other generations, at -6% and +9% respectively. Certain key categories are proving particularly dynamic: watches (+33% vs +6%), jewellery (+19% vs +1%) and clothing (+16% vs +4%). Even categories showing flatter growth, such as handbags (+3%) and footwear (+2%), are seeing growth among young consumers, bucking the general market trend (-8% and -5%).
